Amandla Eyodwa
by DevilFlames
Summary: Kaname never thought he could be intrigued by any other human except Yuki (for obvious reasons) but when a new threat looms over their heads, he finds himself questioning the sudden appearance of the mysterious new teacher with an unique personality and astounding skills and finds himself distracted and second-guessing his goals. {Appearance of Harry Potter characters (EWE)}
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 : The Bloody Jaguar

"Kyah! Kyah! O my god!They look so cool!" "Aido-sempai, look here please..."

"She glanced at me,Ruka-sempai glanced at me!",said a girl and promptly fainted.

"Stay back...you cannot go past here..." Yuki did her best to reign in the crowd but her efforts were useless."Zero,will you stop looking so laid back and lend me a hand?!", Yuki yelled. The other guardian looking almost ethereal in the moonlight shot a scathing glare at the screaming girls and subdued them in a matter of seconds.

"How is it so easy for you? It's not fair",Yuki whined. "Don't worry, you'll hopefully be able to perfect that ability before you die" Zero shot back. "You are incorrigible", Yuki replied,rolling her eyes. "Look who finally opened a thesaurus..",Zero said obviously amused at the turn of events. She was about to make a comeback when the sudden roaring of an engine distracted all of them.

A sleek auburn jaguar with black details seemed to appear out of nowhere. Everything was silent. "Do you reckon it's a supervisor or something?" Yuki whispered to Zero. 'You really do have an awful memory. Cross informed us last night about the new teacher for the Night class. It seems as if she's finally here.",Zero said.

"It's a freaking Jaguar.",some guy yelled breaking the stunned silence. It was chaos after that...everyone was so busy yelling and screaming and admiring the car and watching the others with a wierd sort of amusement, the latter mainly Zero and the vampires that nobody even noticed the figure that exited the car until a "SILENCE" from the said individual resounded in the air.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 : The Name

Everyone turned towards the voice and were shell shocked at what they saw. A girl who looked no more than 24 stood there wearing a pair of black jeans and a black jacket carrying a duffel bag over her shoulders. On her feet were combat boots and the wind fluttered her jacket a little and glimpses of a light blue top was seen. She had long blond hair and piercing dark blue eyes that looked black and she moved with a natural confidence that could rival Kanames'.She wore light frame white glasses with intricate designs in black. Her entire body language seemed to say that she was not someone to be messed with.

She opened her mouth again."Now that all of you have decided not to behave like toddlers in a toy shop, can someone direct me to where the Night Classes are held?" Her words was dripped in sarcasm but her tone betrayed no signs of hostility.

Surprising it was Ichigo who spoke up with his usual cheerfulness,

"Madame,it would be a pleasure to escort you to the class. I am Ichigo Takuma, the vice-president of the dorm"

She replied in a perfectly formal manner completely unlike her earlier statement, "Thank you, I suppose your first class is value education? If you could direct me to the classroom before the old geezer jumps on me suddenly"

"Old Geezer?",Yuki wondered out loud.

"Sorry, I meant the chairman, Kaein Cross",the stranger replied.

Just then, as if summoned, the chairman's shrill voice echoed down the halls,"Delilah,my darling daughter,how beautifully you have grown up! Let Daddy look at you". "For the hundredth time you oldie, I have not aged much since you last saw me last and I AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!",she said with so much fierceness that the chairman seemed to shrink a little.

"Time for Class",she announced gesturing for Takuma to lead the way.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 : The First Lesson

Delilah followed Takuma and Kaname followed her and then came the rest of the class. That was the first time Kaname wasn't leading and thoroughly surprised by the non-intentional but effortless ,he did not let it show. He wasn't even angry. Hell, he didn't even know if she was a hunter, a vampire or just an ordinary human. He had asked the chairman but the only reply he received was a mysterious knowing smile accompanied by the words,"When the time is right." In all the centuries Kaname had known the eccentric blonde, never once had that smile or anything remotely of that kind greeted he knew there was something unusual about this teacher.

Upon reaching the classroom, she dumped the duffel bag on the chair, leaned against the table and asked everyone to find their places. She seemed completely at ease though she was surrounded by such 'beautiful' people. That was to be expected for her looks were on the same level. Once everyone took their seats and got ready for class, she introduced herself:

I am Delilah. You cannot abbreviate my name in any way. You cannot address me as teacher or professor. Call me Delilah.

All the vampires in the room desperately wanted to know what species she belonged to but they were afraid of the possibility of her being an arrogant human who thought she knew everything while completely overlooking their existence. The next words she uttered removed some of their doubt,"You all must be wondering that since you are all vampires why you would need a value education class like those 'meager humans'..." She said meager humans using air quotes"...however it is necessary for you as you do not fully understand your species let alone humans or hunters or any other species."

Aido being the one most easily riled shouted,"How dare you? You have no right to insult any of us this way especially Kaname-sama. We all knows everything there is to know about vampires."

She remained unfazed and calmly replied,"It would lessen my workload a lot if it is , please take your seat , and refrain from jumping up from it."

Then she turned to Zero and said,"Please get me a chalk"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The First Lesson

Delilah divided the board into six columns, rubbed off three of them and widened the rest. She gave three headings: VAMPIRES, HUNTERS, HUMANS.

"I want each of you to mention a characteristic about each of them that you think to be true",she said pointing towards the board with her thumb."Afterwards we will discuss whether or not you are correct. Since Mr. Hanabusa expressed so much interest earlier, it is only fair that he state the first characteristics."

Aido very confidently rose from his seat and said,"All vampires need to feed at least once every two months,except certain circumstances. Hunters have fast speed and improved agility as compared to humans but not as much as vampires. Humans need only food to get nutrients."

"Alright the answer is quite acceptable but there are some incorrect parts",Delilah replied,obviously not of his confidence vanished as he sank down in his chair looking like a kicked made a crude comment about humans.

She did not snap but simply said, "Did you know that some humans have an IQ above 200 that is almost equal to aristocratic vampires?" and smirked. "Hunters actually were humans at one point of time and they have diluted vampire blood flowing in their veins."Shocked murmurs went around the room when this fact was voiced out loud. "We will discuss the topic in detail in some other class. Right now, I want any of you to tell me some other facts." When no one raised their hand, she sighed and asked Aido,"When you mentioned feeding, you said except certain circumstances- will you kindly elaborate?" Aido stood up shakily,"If a vampire is injured, then he needs an immediate dose of blood. Purebloods can hold their thirst up to six months and only need a small dose of blood to heal." He seemed almost relieved when the reply was "Correct!"

"I would like all of you to read up about everything we discussed today. If you manage to find something new, you are welcome to share it during the next class."

The discussion continued. At the end all vampires left with different opinions about the new teacher. It seemed very foolish that none of them had realized their vast ignorance even though they were supposed to be ancient and therefore wise. They did not think that a hunter invented blood tablets in collaboration with a vampire. They had no idea that certain powers possessed by hunters were on par with the aristocratic abilities of vampires. The newbie had efficiently rammed such knowledge into their brains.

She had not moved an inch from the desk even though class was long since over. She had only come here due to the oldie's plea and she did owe him a lot. She let out a sigh and mumbled "This is going to be a long six months."


	5. Chapter 5

Hello! Will you please review? I need some constructive criticism for my first fanfic

Chapter 5: The Grand Music Room

The next day, Delilah was walking around the school grounds when she heard a melody coming from the music room. It would not have been an unusual event if not for it being one o'clock in the afternoon where all vampires were supposed to be sleeping and all humans at their classes. The slightly off-tune music was coming from one of the Night class music could no longer suppress her curiosity and went to investigate.

The dark room was illuminated by a single beam of sunlight. In the middle stood a gleaming black piano and Shiki Senri crying silently. He was playing the instrument though Delilah could understand that his mind was not on the task in front of him. He looked so heartbroken that she could no longer resist the urge to comfort him.

As soon as Shiki felt an affectionate hand stroking his hair and humming soft,soothing words, his control slipped and he hugged Delilah tightly and began wailing. He knew his behaviour was not acceptable for a aristocratic vampire but he simply did not care at that point of that time. He had just received a letter from his mother:

Dear Shiki,

How have you been? It has been days since I saw you or your father.I do not comprehend why you refuse to accompany me instead attending that foolish school of you come back as early as possible and provide your dear darling mother some blood for sustenance. You will assist your mother, won't you?

Come home!

Mother

His mother had become mentally unstable and unable to take care of herself on her own. Some moments thought her condition took a turn for the better but she could not recall that she was no longer his father's lover. She never loved Shiki like a mother was supposed made him docile just like her and the bloody pathetic letter was only because she needed him for his blood. His only outlet was music and even that did not seem to work today.

He vaguely observed that the gentle hands belonged to his new teacher. He was too busy taking in the maternal warmth that radiated from her. He found himself wishing she was his mother but quickly banished that line of thought as he was sure no one could love an emotionless man like him let alone a girl who looked like she was 24 year old.

After several minutes of crying, he felt undeniably better...better but exhausted. Delilah wiped his cheeks with her burst into peals of laughter as he noticed her tweety the bird handkerchief. The rebel of a teacher had a tweety bird handkerchief. She finally looked at his source of amusement and mumbled something that sounded like' Meddlesome Kids!'.

Before he could inquire further, she pocketed it and said,"Shall I teach you a song? It is a modern one but the lyrics are beautiful." He was surprised. She was in reality a lot different than what he thought her to be. It was a beautiful song originally from India so the language was Hindi. She explained the lyrics...

 _Dhundhla jaayein jo manzilein (If yours destinations get hazy,)_

 _Ek pal ko tu nazar jhuka (lower your sight for a moment)_

 _Jhuk jaye sar jahan wahi (wherever your head bows down,)_

 _Milta hain rab ka rasta (there only the way to God is found,)_

 _Teri kismat tu badal de (You only can change your luck)_

 _Rakh himmat bus chal de (Be strong, just start moving,)_

 _Tera saathi, mere kadmon ke hain nishan (My footprints are your companion)_

 _Tu na jaane aas pass hain khuda_  
 _(You don't realize God is nearby...)_

 _Khud pey daal tu nazar Halaton se haar kar_

 _(Take a look at yourself, lost against circumstances)_

 _Kahan chala re haath ki lakeer ko (Where are you headed)_

 _Modhta marodhta hai hosla re (The lines of palm are turned and twisted by your courage,)_

 _To khud tere khawabon key rang mein (So in the color of your dreams,)_

 _Tu apne jahan ko bhi rang de (Color your world too,)_

 _Ke chalta hoon main tere sang mein (I will walk with you,)_

 _Ho shaam bhi toh kya (Even if it's evening)_

 _Jab hoga andhera (When there is dark,)_

 _Tab payega dar mera (you'll find my door,)_

 _Uss dar pe phir hogi teri subah (On that door, it'll be your morning,)_

 _Tu na jaane aas pass hain khuda_

 _Tu na jaane aas pass hain khuda_

 _(You don't realize God is nearby...)_

 _Mit jaate hain sabke nishaan (Signs of everyone are erased)_

 _Bas ek woh mit-ta nahi hain (Only that one doesn't get erased)_

 _Maan le jo har mushkil ko marzi meri (Consider every problem my will)_

 _Ho humsafar na tera jab koi (When there is no companion of yours)_

 _Tu ho jahan, rahoonga main wahi (I'll be there where you are)_

 _Tujhse kabhi na ek pal bhi main juda (I'm never away from you for even a moment)_

 _Tu na jaane aas pass hain khuda_

 _Tu na jaane aas pass hain khuda_

 _(You don't realise God is nearby,_  
 _You don't realise God is nearby... )_

She revealed that her honorary grandmother was from India so she had learned various Hindi songs in her childhood years. He was so engrossed in her words that he did not even realize when four o'clock came by. She told him to get some rest and walked away.

Just before going out the door, she turned around and said, " Fight, Freeze or Flight... What will you choose?" and went away leaving a dumbfounded vampire in her wake.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 : The Pretender

Kaname rubbed his eyes. He was on the verge of completing the mountains of paperwork sitting on his desk. He had been procrastinating though he would never admit to it. He felt his thoughts drifting to the new teacher. He found that she was proving to be very distracting. He had barely managed to do his work as his mind began pondering who she was, what her motives were and how she knew so many things that even he was ignorant of. He signed at the end of the page and closed the file. He called out to Takuma and then Seiren but received no response. He opened the double doors of his office-cum study and saw no one was present . He walked to the sitting room where his followers usually spent their time and found it to be empty.

His vampiric hearing picked up sounds in the direction of the library. He decided that his followers had to be deeply concentrated in their work to not hear him. Upon entering the library, he met with a peculiar sight. All the vampires in the room were pouring over their books. Kain was searching for a particular one. Ruka was taking notes so vigorously that he felt sure the paper would tear. Shiki was the only one absent. Even Seiren had five books opened in front of her. He was unable to spot Aido at first until he found him blocked from view by high piles of books. He almost could not believe their eyes, they were researching for their homework! They were so engrossed in their work that they did not notice his presence. He silently slipped out for a walk.

It was about half past three. If he kept to the shades of the trees, he should not suffer any damage. He was passing by one of the music rooms, he heard a song whose lyrics sounded like an Indian language though he could not identify the exact one. He felt like a schoolboy peeking from the gap in the window but he could not help himself. What he saw sent a pang of something to his heart. He could not comprehend why Shiki Senri was totally engrossed in the woman playing the piano. The woman was none other than Delilah. She looked like an guardian angel, her hair illuminated by the single beam of sunlight entering through the window he was peeking through. He stood listening to the entire song when he noticed her moving towards the door and felt that he should take that walk after all.

He had been roaming for about two hours when he reached the large lake. He felt Delilah coming up behind him.

"Enjoying the view?",she asked. He replied without turning back, "Very much so. The sunset was magnificent, don't you think?"

" I always felt that sunrises in autumn were marvelous but I suppose to each their own."The wind had turned into a cold breeze and he was sure she was feeling the chill but she betrayed no signs of it.

"Why do you isolate yourself?", she asked abruptly. "Why the sudden question?. He tried to divert the question with another question. She was having none of it. She strode up to him and merely rose an eyebrow. "Because it is in my nature,"he finally said "I am a pureblood. People have always respected me and put me on a pedestal. They unintentionally isolated me. After that it made sense to..." "Push everyone away?", she suggested. "No, to keep everyone at a respectable distance.", he shot back,sharply turning his head towards her. "Even your friends who have supported you every step of the way?", she asked, not dropping the subject. "They knew the consequences of following a pureblood. They are not my friends but they are the ones closest to me. They are the people I can trust.", he said. She knew that it was not entirely the reason behind his behavior nut she did not push for an answer. A comfortable silence prevailed until he said he ought to head back inside. She nodded her head in acknowledgement but did not move from her place by the water, staring at something far far away further than the horizon.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Meddling Cougar

All of the vampires were super excited for the next class as they never had a teacher who could teach them anything new or make them take interest in was different. She did look young but the vampires were not that easily fooled. Her eyes had seen much more than any of them. It reflected the pain and sorrow when she thought no one was looking and they knew she wasn't completely truthful to them but they frankly did not care. It wasn't any of their business. They would give their fantastic teacher her space.

She was already there in the classroom surfing through the web on her laptop which had the most incredible death note cover that Takuma had ever seen. He was so elated that he could squeal like those annoying schoolgirls. Instead he took out his cell and started clicking photographs of the cover from various angles. Delilah gave a small smile at the amusing antics of the boy before stopping him.

"That's enough. I will gift you one if you can ace the test."

"TEST?", someone called out.

She addressed the entire class,"All of you will be having a pen and paper test as well as a practical one. The written test will be mostly conceptual and application based."

"What will be our syllabus?" Rima asked,pocky stick in hand.

Delilah gave a smirk and said, " Whatever I feel like."

"But that's not fair!",Aido pouted.

"Is life fair?" was the only reply given.

"Now then, has anyone stumbled across anything new?"she asked.

Several hands went up and she was delighted at their enthusiasm. Zero was staring out the window but she knew his mind was on the proceedings of the class.

Delilah got a call just ten minutes after class ended. She rolled her eyes when she saw the caller said "meddling old cougar". She had an inward hysterical laughter moment thinking about the consequences of the Id being discovered by said person. Probably just glare and threaten since he was all bark and no bite. She accepted the call and put the contraption to her ear. "Did you do it?" was the first thing said. No greetings or politeness. But she didn't expect those from this kind of person.

"Do want?"she asked, trying to rile him up.

"Find out what Kaname-sama is planning?", the other voice questioned.

"That wasn't, isn't and will not be my true motive. I'm here only for Him to make Him suffer and beg. I may have agreed to your demands but don't kid yourself thinking that i'm your puppet." she growled out.

"This type of rash behavior is exactly why I despise hunters. I have got a hundred other reasons but I rather not waste my time. Don't forget that you are there only because I allowed you."

"So you think...",she muttered under her breath.

Speaking loudly her retort was "If there is any danger or development I will be sure to inform you and protect your precious Pureblood Prince. Don not worry, Ichigo Asato-san"

Then she cut the call.

Ruka rushed to Kaname-sama's office as soon as she could. She had thought that this teacher was too good to be true but she had wanted to convince herself that maybe this time they could learn to trust someone . Nevertheless, No matter what she would gladly fight till death if someone harmed Kaname-sama, after all what was the power of a single lowly hunter against hers. She hoped to win Kaname-sama's favour by bringing him this piece of news. Kaname's blank mask did not betray anything during the recollection of the event. He dismissed her and only when she was out of earshot did he sink down in his chair and started to decide what the best course of action would be.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Class Trip?

Only Ruka and Kaname knew about the phone conversation from Delilah and they remained thoughtful. Ruka kept a close eye on her but did not do anything as she was still waiting for Kaname to give her his consent. Days seemed to fly by and soon almost a month had passed and the vampires were becoming comfortable with the new teacher. Only Zero, Ruka and Kaname were still wary of her. They thought she was oblivious but she had long since perfected her mask. She understood Zero's reason but drew a blank face while pondering about the the two; who seemed perfectly fine at the beginning. Did they find out?...No, that was impossible.

At the end of the week, Kaname decided that he should have a talk with Delilah. "Come walk with me," he said, briskly walking away. He led her through the woods into that same clearing by the lake.

"Are you a spy?" The question was asked with such straightforwardness, it completely opposed the cold, calculative demeanor of the Pureblood and made her burst out laughing. He did not know whether it was because this was the first time she had laughed completely at ease with him or some other reason but his stone cold heart began to thaw a little at the sound and a small smile made its' way to his lips; however, there were matters of more importance to be addressed. So he suppressed that smile and repeated the same question with total seriousness.

She asked, "For who? Asato Ichigo?...Maybe I am a spy, but rest assured. I am not that old geezer's lackey. I admit I have some ulterior motives at hand but none of them are malicious...at least not to any of you," she murmured the last part almost inaudibly. "Please continue with your work but don't interfere with my matters."

This discussion, instead of satisfying his curiosity, raised several different questions. Millions of thought began to swim in his head. "Who is her target?" "If she is not Asato's minion, who is she working for?" "Can he trust her word?" The most predominant thought was that he had severely misjudged this new arrival.

Delilah was walking to her dorm when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Ruka stood before her. "I don't want any harm to befall him. If you touch a hair on Kaname-sama's head, you'll not live for another second." She snarled viciously. She did not wait for any confirmation from Delilah and disappeared just as quickly as she came. 'Two confrontations in one day…and the last one with a death threat…lucky me! This is becoming very interesting.' She thought while unlocking her door. 'Very well…time to send an owl to the chipmunks.'

Classes continued as usual and Kaname ordered a full investigation on her. It was a new moon night when a cool breeze was blowing. Delilah informed her class of the impending excursion. It was to be held about a month later for two weeks at some hillside where they were to be tested on their control, tolerance and reflexes in several different ways.

"Think of it as a serene place with no distractions where you can frolic among nature and her creations except the silence of the dreary night, symbolizing the threat of the unknown and you can hear your heart beating nineteenth to the dozen and you are sweating profusely and the out of nowhere you are scared out your wits by a single sound dreading the approaching danger and BOO! A rabbit scurries out of the bushes with its noise twitching."

Her voice had dropped and became almost a whisper and all the people seemed to be magnetically drawn towards her. Aido fell out of his seat at that last phrase. She strolled back to her desk reassuring them it would not be that difficult and she was not a demon. As an afterthought, she added that if she was a demon, she was at least a devilishly angelic one. Hushed whispers throughout the room in anticipation of the trip was cut off when a student asked to come in to relay a message from the chairman.

He said that that the chairman told him to tell Delilah that the chipmunks had floo-ed to remind her of a PTA? He said it hesitantly almost uncertain of the wordings. Delilah stood up so fast her chair fell and then rushed out of the room. Then she popped her head back in and said "class dismissed."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Yori's Motto!

Somewhere Else:

"Where is she?" A twelve year old voice asked. "Did she forget about it again?"

Another voice, a male, replied, "No, she wouldn't. We asked Kaein to remind her. She'll definitely be here."

"Nowadays, she spends so much time there. She seems more energetic." The girl said.

"That's actually good. We live in school most of the year and she does get lonely." The boy said.

"Well, at least she is focusing on something other than revenge for once." The girl said.

"Did you forget that she went there to tear down the foundation of his dealings? No base, no exchange of goods. That is part of her vengeance." The boy reminded.

"I know, but now she is getting involved with the lives of the people she is coming across. And you know how she is. She and Uncle have this hero complex that demands them to save every single damsel or, in general, any person in distress. In the process, she'll make new friends. That is a lot of improvement from before." The girl explained.

"Look at us dissecting the lives of adults. We are weirdly awesome!"The boy replied with a fist punch in the air.

"I was born like that…..Uh!...Where is she?" The girl said. Just then the flames of the fireplace glowed emerald and a figure stepped out. Before any apologies could be made, two sets of hands embraced her and she was greeted with a word that never failed to bring a smile to her face. 'Mom, you are finally here!"

Cross Academy:

Zero and Yuki were quarreling as high-pitched voices could be heard a mile away. Yori was calmly reading a book, completely ignoring them. Delilah strolled down the hallway, smiling at Yori.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Delightful..thank you for asking," Yori reliped.

"Do they always argue like that? Seems to be fun," she said.

"Most of the time, when Zero isn't taunting her,she is annoying Zero." Yori said.

Delilah smiled a faraway smile, saying, "They remind me of two people…they are gone now. It has been a pleasure chatting with you, but it is getting you guys around."

Then with the nod of acknowledgement to the other two, she left. Yori hadn't noticed that the duo had ceased their fighting around the time when she had begun talking to Delilah. They looked at her like she'd grown an extra head.

"How do you know her Yori? She doesn't teach the Day Class, does she?" Zero asked, bewildered.

"Oh, she is an acquaintance from a long time ago. Helped me learn an useful lesson of life. That's all." She said, walking away towards the dorm with her mind drifting back to almost seven years ago when she first met this wonderful person that shaped her life.

 _"No, Miss Yori, you cannot enter. Your father is currently busy with work." The butler said._

 _"But I need to speak with him urgently regarding school, Sebastian." Yori said, her voice not sounding the least bit whiny._

 _"You know the rules, Miss Yori: No visits when the master is working." Sebastian, the butler, replied inwardly sympathizing with his young mistress. She knew it was futile to try and get past their family butler, so she gave up and was walking past the parlor when her father's booming voice could be heard."That is all I can offer."_

 _Another voice called out calmly. "And you know I cannot accept it. My conditions must be fulfilled.''_

 _" You can arrange a marriage with my daughter." He called out, almost pleadingly._

 _Suddenly there was a long silence before a snarling, vicious voice made its appearance. "If you think for one second that I would be willing to ruin two lives to suit your whims, you are dead wrong. You might want your daughter to not have her own life but she deserves none of your manipulations. I am certainly not going to participate in this playing-God-game. You wanted my advice; I gave it to you. You landed yourself in this mess. If you have considered my words with a calm mind, you will understand the consequences of your rashness."_

 _Yori heard rapid footsteps coming towards the door, and before she could escape, it was yanked open. She came face to face with blond hair and furious, black eyes._

 _The eyes softened a little, looking at her, and whispered. "Never deny your true potential. You are only as useless as you make yourself."_

Yori had gotten a stern scolding from Sebastian. Her father could not even be bothered to reprimand her. However, one thing that amused her was that this time, her father was not stoic like usual but his screams of rage could be heard throughout the house. She heard from the maids that he had shattered four antique vases and ripped two expensive paintings. He had continued expressing his fury for many months declaring the audacity of the plebeian but at last seemed to agree to the demands set out by her. The scratch marks left by a shattered piece of glass in her father's study still made her giggle. She knew it was not right, but for once, her father had gotten the taste of his own medicine and she couldn't help but feel like it was due time.

Those words had become kind of a motto to live her life. It had been the first time someone had stood up for her. She had been shocked that her father had actually amended his methods. He was still manipulative and using people for his advantage. But not as cruelly as before. She could very well understand that Delilah and the stranger were one and the same. Now, observing Delilah interact with others, she understood that it was her dynamic personality that affected everyone.

Zero stood there watching Yori walk away. What was it about this teacher that was making the unusual people act more unusual? He had made no efforts to warm up to her rather, preferring to show his dislike, but she did not act hostile. Instead, she was perfectly polite and seemed to be smirking exactly during the times when he wondered maybe she was a good teacher, as if she could read his thoughts. There were, however, a few advantages to having her at all, Kuran seemed to be a little less of a pest and more focused on devoting his time elsewhere since she came. There was something about her that made both his vampire and hunter senses crumble. Something safe and warm; a new feeling, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it yet. "Zero! Zero, are you even listening?" Yuki cut off his dream world. "Yeah…you were saying…?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Guest

"Don't you think you are being too suspicious of her?" Seiren retaliated. She had been watching the usually apathetic Shiki and the usually composed Ruka argue with each other quite unlike their usual selves for the better part of the hour. And the topic….was the current trend for all the students of the Academy, day or night, about the new teacher they had. Well, they could hardly call her new, she had been there for more than six weeks, in fact (not that time had reduced the mystery surrounding her). But frankly, Seiren was getting sick of the same old banter.

"Why shouldn't we be?" Ruka said. "She is a complete stranger. What do we really know of her?She seems to be wise beyond her years, using words that we cannot make head or tail of. Always disappearing and hiding things from us. She has given us ample reasons to be wary."

"That does not matter…she is here to teach and she makes me feel safe, at least. She doesn't discriminate. I could care less about her past because whatever that might be I believe she will never hurt us." Shiki almost screamed.

'She is planning to do just that…she is a spy.' Ruka desperately wanted to yell out that piece of information, but curbed her tongue at the last minute before giving a reluctant nod as if agreeing with him. The conversation died down and only the crackling fire made sounds in the lounge.

"Sensei…sensei!" Delilah walked at a slow pace, not realizing the shouts were for her. The students finally caught up to her, asking her to help them with the school play. She had almost forgotten she was a sensei now.

Some distant words rang in her ear.

'You'll be the best teacher ever…I hardly think teaching you how to change a tyre is a suitable test for determining that…You only say that, dear Delilah, because you don't know your own worth.' Then he proceeded to twirl her round and his faith became the only thing she needed to believe in herself.

"Sensei?"

…

"Of course, I would be delighted. When is the drama?" They began chattering excitedly all at once.

Ruka stumbled upon this scene. She wasn't particularly fond of walking under the sun but Kaname-sama had sent her on an errand. She felt repulsed at the mere sight of the teacher but greeted her anyway. As it turned out, they were both walking towards the chairman's office. The silence between them was heavy and oppressive but did not seem to have an effect on Delilah. She walked whilst whistling a tune staring at the sky.

"Did you know wolves are extremely protective of their packs?" Delilah asked while Ruka stopped walking for a moment. Delilah continued, "Wolves are fiercely protective. Sort of similar to you."

Ruka did not know whether to take it as an insult or a compliment.

The silence was back again, but it was less awkward this time.

They reached the office, knocked and entered. Ruka suddenly stopped, causing Delilah who was right behind her to stumble.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Then she turned and spotted the guest in the room.

"Ah, you!" She quite rudely pointed. Ruka all but shoved her aside, apologizing for her manners. "It is an honour to be granted your presence, Shoto-sama."

Delilah re-entered, repeating, "Shoto-sama," in a mocking tone. Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged off their gazes. "What?...I didn't say anything…You wanted to speak to me, geezer?"

Chairman looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You see, the thing is…about the lodge in the hills, what I meant is—"

A voice interrupted them. "What he means to say is: I have offered the services of my summer cottage as a replacement for the lodge."

"Pray tell, why this sudden kindness?" Delilah glared. "To ensure that my fellow vampires do not meet with unfortunate incidents." Was the reply.

"Oh, like you did, Isa?" Isaya Shoto's face visibly paled for a minute. "You may think what you like, Del."

"Well then, if you will excuse me, chairman." Saying so, she left the room. "I must inform such pleasant news to my students." She said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Ruka stepped forward to apologize to him. He listened to it with a bemused smile and remarked that he knew Delilah well enough not to be offended.

As Ruka was leaving, a whisper of a warning echoed. "She's an absolute delight, but don't meddle in troublesome affairs, young lady."

* * *

"Well class, I've some good news for you and bad news for me. The class trip unluckily for me will not be occurring at my lodge. Instead one of the esteemed members of the vampire society has generously permitted us to make use of his cottage. Our patron has also decided to join our class today." Turning towards the door she said, "You may come in now."

As Isaya Shoto sauntered into the room, the vampires had to hold their breath.

"Good evening." The class erupted into shocked awes and the students almost began squealing like the fangirls that greeted them . The class ended up becoming a talk session. All students participated eagerly as Kaname silently slipped off towards the doorway Delilah was leaning against.

"You know Shoto-sama as well?"

"Ah, I see that the informant has delivered the news." Delilah said with a mild smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Back to the question at hand."

"Yes, I do know him. He is a pretty close acquaintance of mine despite being centuries older."

"May I ask how you came to build this relation?"

"Oh, I threw a cupcake at his face one day. It's funny you know. You and Ruka are like the queen bee and the friend. Anything that happens in her field of vision is immediately told to you."

"I make it a duty to know of my surroundings."

"Do you track down all teachers like you are hunting a prey, or am I special?" She asked as she walked towards the students to calm them down a bit.

He was again at a loss for words. It was true that Kaname had never spent that much time investigating a single teacher before. It was because she was so unknown to everyone. He tried convincing himself. That was precisely the reason.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Sort-of Date

The investigation report had come back. Kaname sighed. He had read it over and over again. It had the basic information, even her surname had been stamped "CONFIEDENTIAL." All his efforts were fruitless. The mention of his name and position had yielded no results. He sighed again. What was she hiding?

He was becoming quite obsessed with Delilah and ignoring most of his work. That did not matter as much as the fact that he began prioritizing Delilah over Yuuki. Now that he had time to ponder upon it, he analyzed his relationship with Yuuki. He found that it had always been sort of a brother-sister crush she had for him could easily be chalked to feelings of adoration and admiration one would feel for their brother. They would fade with time. It made no sense to change her into one of them, to make her live such a life, especially if she was happy as a human. But he knew he had to tell her of her true identity. It would not be fair to her if she lived in ignorance. He decided he would tell her and leave her to make her own choice.

All that thinking was taking a toll on him. He found himself walking to that same place by the lake. It had become one of his favourite spots in the forest. It was truly a pleasant place with a gentle breeze blowing. He had never cared much about the atmosphere around him. He simply tuned out all unnecessary distractions when he needed to. He refused to acknowledge that his fascination for the place might have something to do with a blonde-haired teacher. Speak of the devil, and she appears. She didn't say a word but seemed to bask in the silence.

Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Wanna do something fun?"

"I don't have time for fun." He answered without a hint of arrogance.

"Oh, loosen up, we'll be back before your bedtime. Don't worry. You won't get in trouble."

"What about classes?"

"Why the sudden concern for classes? You can afford to miss some. You know most of it anyway."

"I meant your classes."

"Leave that. It's good to break free once in a while."

They crossed the forest, passing through the gates, past the town and stopped in front of a large fence. Delilah removed her jacket and proceeded to climb over it.

"What are you standing there for? Come on up."

"It must be about 20 feet high."

"Aren't you a vampire?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. Sure. Wait." He was vandalising a protected institution which he had no idea of in the middle of the night. What had this woman reduced him to? Upon reaching the top, he turned his head and looked shocked.

"An amusement park? Why here?"

"To amuse ourselves, of course." She stated like it was the most obvious thing. Jumping down, she calmly walked to a nearby ice-cream stall and took a pin from her hair. Then she began picking the lock and jumped over the counter.

"What will your order be, good sir?"

He decided to play along. "Can I have two scoops of vanilla and one of chocomint with some chocolate sauce and strawberry wafers?"

"Somebody likes his ice-cream," Delilah teased.

He flushed and his ears grew red. He had accidentally admitted his extreme fondness for ice-cream. He often sneaked off in disguise to buy some. Baskin Robins was his current favourite.

"Here sir, your order is ready." She said, handing him the bowl.

"Won't the night guards come at any moment?"

"Chillax, this place will shut down in a few days. Is paranoia a sign of old age or a symptom of being a vampire?"

"I'm not old."

"No, you are positively ancient."

They dumped the bowl in the sink and Delilah left some money on the counter.

"That is almost triple the amount."

"Well, the ice cream was delicious and we did break in."

"You realise you just left some evidence."

"Not like they would snoop around to look for an ice-cream thief who payed money. So what ride would you like to go on first?"

"I wouldn't know really. Never been to an amusement park before."

"Never? Not once?" She asked with wide eyes.

"None."

She dragged him to an arcade where they spent the better part of the time playing air-hockey. Then there was the bumper car, the carousel (Delilah commented Kaname looked like the Ghost Rider when he selected a pure black horse) and they really wanted to try the roller coaster, but decided that it would be too much of a risk. So, they bribed the operator (after waking him up rather rudely with the help of a vuvuzela and scaring him half to death because of the red glowing eyes) of the ferris wheel and convinced him to give them a ride.

"It's rather out of character for you, isn't it? This badass image."

Delilah guffawed. "Did I hear Kaname Kuran saying the word 'badass?'" She sobered up a little. "Well, I suppose so for you guys anyway. You people know me as the cool, fun, somewhat strict teacher used to getting her own way clouded in mystery. However, I'll have you know for the first few stages of my life, I was practically a delinquent listening to no one, saying stuff to people I severely regret now. I had more than one ear piercing and spikes and a whole lot more."

"What happened?"

"Sunshine happened."

Silence…

"Gorgeous, enthralling, breathtaking…."

"What are you doing?"

"Listing adjectives to describe the beauty you find in the current scenery." They were currently at the very top at the ferris wheel admiring the view.

"You bewilder me sometimes…what is that?" He asked, pointing at something in the forest.

"I think that the bear cub is dying."

"That panther must be hunting it."

"You think so? Follow me."

Saying that she opened the door, signaling him to follow her. Then she jumped and ran towards the noticed the operator who promptly fainted at the sight of them jumping.

"What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't. Don't tell me Mr. Hotshot Vampire Prince was scared?" She teased.

"I absolutely wasn't." He said stiffly though his ears had turned a little red. They slowed down as they came close to the particular place. He gazed into the unbelievable scene before him. The panther wasn't hurting the cub, it was protecting it. The panther was licking the cub's wounds and growling at anyone who tried to come near them.

"Vampires stay away from humans because they are fragile and short-lived, easy to break and forget. But your entire race is a contradiction. You find beauty in their fragility and are drawn towards them through your instincts to feed. You dismiss their strengths because you think that the fire they had to walk through, that pain and helplessness, everything that they have overcome, that sense of loss they felt in some point of their life does not begin to compare to yours because of the short time they have suffered."

By that time she had managed to come closer and calm the panther, the cub was snoozing safely in her hands with no wounds as if they had magically disappeared.

"Yes, they have their faults. But you cannot appreciate the beauty of roses without taking their thorns into account. You have formed a view and made it into a stereotype, always judging and undermining from afar, not going close enough to understand the reason."

She stood up and walked away with the cub in her hands and the panther by her side.

He finally found the right words. "What is the point of going close if their end is assured?"

She smiled a mysterious smile and he found that he loved it and adored it.

"What is the point of establishing yourself as a superior race when oblivion is inevitable?"

He stood there calmly while she walked away while his insides were in turmoil. He wanted to…what was the human expression again? Oh, yes…tear his hair out. He hated her ability to leave him speechless. Yet she had done it again and all he could do was suppress his scream of frustration.  
_

 _Yes, that was a Fault in Our Stars reference...Don't kill me...Please review_

 _I realise that Kaname is a OOC but I need him to be a little normal for my story_

 _Also, some people have PM-d asking if Kaname is the ancestor. In this fic he is not. Haruka's son was never killed by Rido so Kaname is Yuuki's biological brother._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Mansion of Dreams or Maybe…Accidents?

It was the dead of the night and the Night Class students were excited to go on their class trip…to ISAYA SHOTO-SAMA'S mansion! They could hardly stop themselves from squealing. Their host himself was here and he and their teacher were constantly bickering about something. How could someone argue with him? Well, it was none of their business. Another downside to the trip was that they were traveling by bus…Eh! Delilah had suggested this, as buses were the mode of transportation in a normal class trip and Shoto-sama had agreed. So currently they were boarding a bus…a state-of-the-art Volvo bus with the best facilities and dark tinted windows….but still a bus! Yuuki had been allowed on this trip because she insisted and the chairman could never deny her anything. She was currently playing UNO with Zero and Kaname-sama.

Finally, they reached their destination. The mansion was a dark, imposing place with grand iron gates. The bus entered a sheltered compound from where they were taken to the main entrance by foot. It was a long walk and confusing with the various twists and turns and ups and downs, but Delilah walked like it was her own home. Aido realized that he had said the last part aloud only when Delilah visibly stiffened. Only a second later, Shoto-sama said, "It is her home. She is always welcome here." They shared a look and Delilah's eyes softened. They continued walking and nobody spoke of the strange incident. They were shown to their rooms and told to get a good rest as they would be starting early in the evening. Yuuki who had fallen asleep and was being carried by Zero, was whisked away by Delilah upstairs. Before they departed, Shoto-sama issued a warning, "The third floor is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a painful death."

They were up at six in the evening. Delilah was standing in the middle of a large indoor stadium kind of place with a stick in her hand and a silk scarf. There were several earthen pots scattered around her.

"We are going to do a team building exercise. Not all of you have to participate but your presence is mandatory. The teams are: Zero and Kaname, Aido and Ruka and, Shiki and Seiren."

'Great, out of all of the odds I get stuck with these kind of bloodsuckers…UH!'

'What is she planning? Me with the Level D?' Kaname stared at Delilah with narrowed eyes.

'My, my, Aido's in my team. Why couldn't it be Kaname-sama?'

While these internal monologues seemed to be taking place, Seiren and Shiki were having a pleasant conversation without words. They never had much interaction before but they had a lot of similarities.

Delilah announced the rules. "There will be eight such pots scattered around a fixed area. One of the members will be blindfolded and carry the stick. They will be joined to the other member with a rope around someone's left foot and someone's right. The aim of the game is to break all earthen pots. Of course, you will be timed and the group who breaks them in the shortest period wins."

Shoto-sama joined in. "The reward is access to my personal library as well as the right to withdraw from one other such exercise. Trust me when I say that you will plead for that withdrawal."

"You people realize that this is meaningless. We all have extremely sharp senses."

"Which is precisely why we'll dull them to normal humans ones with the aid of these wristbands. This exercise is based on the sole purpose of increasing communication. Now chop chop, you have two minutes to decide who'll be blindfolded. For those who are not participating, come here."

They huddled together and whispers were heard. After a while, they broke away, nodding with a grave expression upon their faces. At last the game started. Senri and Shiki worked together so efficiently as if they were different parts of the same body. They managed to finish within 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

Then came the turn of Ruka and Aido…Here's what actually happened in details:

"Don't mess this up for me with your clumsiness." Ruka fiercely whispered. Aido just glared at her until he was blindfolded.

"Ok, in your places everyone. Ready?" Upon getting a nod from both the vampires, Delilah started the timer. "Go left…no, not that much. Yes, yes just about there…No! No, too fast…you are walking too fast!"

"Woman, will you bloody stop shouting? I'm literally connected to you. I can hear you fine even if you don't shout."

"Well, if you weren't so incapable of following instructions, I wouldn't have to shout, would I? Ok, that's enough. Focus. Right there. Yes." The first pot was broken at 58 seconds. "See, slowpoke? Now we'll never win."

When the next pot was broken some dust got into Ruka's eyes so she had to close them. Then the real fun started. All the non-participating vampires started shouting directions.

"Go right." "No, turn 180 degrees." "Left, left." "Straight two paces."

Aido could not understand what to do, where to go. Walking aimlessly and fast while being connected to another person combined with his lack of senses caused him to lose his balance and slip, pulling Ruka down with him. She opened her eyes at the last second but it was too late. The stick in his hand flew through the air and landed directly on Shoto-sama's head. Delilah started laughing while clutching her stomach. The others stared in a horrified silence at Aido who tugged loose the blindfold and asked with a bewildered expression, "What happened?"

 _If you guys did not realise, the first part was sort of in Aido's point of view._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Disadvantages of a Bad Partnership

Thankfully, the situation did not get any worse. Even after being hit in the face, Shoto-sama did not lose his composure, simply looked resigned to it. He bid everyone a nice day, excused himself, and walked away commenting about letting dangerous teachers influence students. Delilah merely stuck out her tongue at that. Kaname did not need to berate Aido as he had started berating himself. He looked thoroughly ashamed and his cheeks were as red as ripe tomatoes. Kaname did not say anything. His attention shifted to Delilah who had started walking towards Aido with a grave expression on her face. She put her hand on Aido's shoulder which made something flaring inside Kaname. She said in an absolutely serious tone with various pauses in her sentence.

"Never in my life,"

Pause.

"Have I ever encountered,"

Pause.

"Such a display."

Pause.

"However, Aido,"

Long pause.

"You have exceeded my expectations."

Aido looked to the ground thinking it to be a sarcastic comment. Then Delilah burst out laughing again. "I should have done that years ago. That was ingenious."

"Okay, so currently Senri and Seiren are in the lead. We will continue this a bit later. It is a lovely night out. Let me take off your wristbands and we'll go take a walk outside."

The grounds were mesmerizing. The moonlight made the white flowers decorating the path glow. In the distance, you could hear the wolves howling to the moon. Ruka suddenly remembered Delilah's words and flushed. They sat at a gazebo and chatted. No one was silent. Everyone participated, either making fun of Aido or teasing Senri and Shiki that they had found a perfect partner in one another. Delilah observed them, trying to understand how much the exercise had worked. She knew all of them were undeniably strong, but to face the enemy's strength and power wasn't enough—at least not against this particular fiend.

She had been shocked when the chairman had sent her an owl pleading for her to come help train them. She had been unsure at first, saying that she could simply get rid of the enemy. But the chairman reminded her of her own battles. One person was never enough and she couldn't stay forever. They needed someone who knew how much teamwork was important to guide them. She thought it would never work when she arrived here. Believe it or not, the group was full of weak links. Not individual people but certain characteristics of them. But now…now it just might work.

She was once again pulled into the conversation by Rima. They spent quite some time talking, recalling funny stories about Takuma and Aido and trying to find the mystery as to how Shiki could fall asleep regardless of time and place. Then Delilah announced that it was Kaname and Zero's turn to complete the task. So they headed back to the gymnasium. The wristbands were put on.

Unfortunately, they had major trust issues. They argued about who was going to lead which led to a full-blown debate about how a lowly scum like Zero should be eradicated and how purebloods should be wiped off the surface of the earth.

After cooling them down with a deadly glare and icy words of warning (you will not conduct such drama in my presence), it was decided that Zero would lead by rock-paper-scissors. (Delilah's idea. She had to spend quite some time explaining the game to the clueless vampires.)

The game started and they easily hit the first two pots. But then Zero began to grumble about the pureblood's snail pace and Kaname walked faster to prove him wrong and both of them fell headfirst on the ground, smashing the two nearby pots with their bodies.

"Kiryuu, are you so incompetent that you cannot manage to keep up with me?"

"Well bloodsucker, if you didn't forget that our legs were tied together maybe we wouldn't have fallen." He replied with his customary scowl etched on his face.

"You know that this is precisely why Shizuka took your twin and not you. Because she knew you were utterly incompetent and the foul tasting blood of yours would never sate her thirst."

Zero recoiled as if he had been struck. "Rich coming from someone that lets this lowlife feed from him."

"That is only to keep Yuuki safe."

"Safe? SAFE? She will never be so as long as some century old pedophile is with her every night melting her innocent heart with sweet words. You are sick and disgusting and an embarrassment to the Kuran name." Zero practically shouted out.

Kaname was flabbergasted for a few seconds. Then his eyes flashed red. "You are the one craving blood all the time, you hypocritical imbecile. Where is your pride as a hunter? You hail from a family that is closest to royalty that hunters can get. If it were me, I would have shot myself by now."

They were panting and glaring at each other. Delilah cut the game short and came forward to take off their wristbands. There was no amusement in her eyes, no spark of mischief, simply plain anger scorching like the sun. She did not speak a word to them, announcing that Senri and Shiki had won, strode past the great doors and up the staircase to her room.


End file.
